OOMPH! is an industrial rock band from the neue deutsche härte scene.
Read Full Bio ↴OOMPH! is an industrial rock band from the neue deutsche härte scene.

OOMPH! consists of:
Robert Flux (guitar, mixing)
Andreas Crap (lead guitar, keyboards)
Leo (live drums)
Hagen (live bass)
Der Schulz (lead vocalist)

The band was formed in 1989 in Wolfsburg, Germany. They are one of the founders of the fusion of hard metal music and industrial sounds known as Neue Deutsche Härte.

OOMPH! owed a lot to Nitzer Ebb in their self-titled debut (1992). OOMPH!'s change of style for the successor "Sperm" (1994), with a more guitar-driven metal sound mixed with their electronic roots, inspired numerous musicians, most famously Rammstein, to follow their lead. (Rammstein have cited OOMPH! in several interviews as their main inspiration.)

OOMPH! released their first album on Jor's Machinery label, then releasing their consecutive albums on its sister-label Dynamica. They stayed with Jor, until his labels disappeared during the acquisition by Sanctuary Records at around 1996/1997.

Following Dynamica OOMPH! finally signed with Virgin Schallplatten. With the benefits of major-label status OOMPH! gained a larger following, and toured with labelmates Skunk Anansie in 1999. Between 1998 and 2001 they released three albums on the Virgin label, fulfilling their contract, but did not continue, feeling that the record company never fully explored their potential.

In 2004 OOMPH! released their first single "Augen auf!" on a new label, this time on Supersonic Records, part of the Sony BMG group of music companies. It marks their first Number One hit ever in Germany, thus eventually bringing forth their major commercial breakthrough. It became part of the FIFA 2005 soundtrack.

The band's ninth record, GlaubeLiebeTod was released in March 2006, including the controversial single "Gott ist ein Popstar" and its follow-up "Das letzte Streichholz", the third single was Die Schlinge.

In 2007, they won the third Bundesvision Song Contest (a contest between the sixteen states of Germany) for Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) with "Träumst du?", which featured Marta Jandová from Die Happy.

While OOMPH! are not widely known within the United States, the band did perform at a New York festival in 1993. In Europe they have performed at M'era Luna, Ozzfest, Dynamo Open Air and Wacken Open Air.

Die Leiter
OOMPH! Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Komm
Komm mein Mädchen
Komm ein bisschen
Nur ein bisschen

Auf die Leiter
Meine Leiter
Dann geht es weiter

Diese Welt ist dein Verließ
Bald bist du im Paradis
Auf der Leiter, Stück für Stück
Kämpfst du dich zu mir zurück.

Die Leiter steht am Horizont
Und dass du weinst sieht nur der Mond
Du kletterst bist die Seele brennt
Und du zerreißt das Firmament

Komm
Komm doch näher
Immer höher
Immer näher

Immer weiter
Immer weiter
Auf meiner Leiter

Sehnsucht ist dein Galgenstrick
Langsam bricht sie dein Genick
Durch das große Himmelstor
Quälst du dich zu mir empor

Die Leiter steht am Horizont
Und dass du weinst sieht nur der Mond
Du kletterst bist die Seele brennt
Und du zerreißt das Firmament

Komm zurück
Trau dich zu mir heute Nacht
Komm zurück
Trau dich zu mir heute Nacht

Die Leiter steht am Horizont
Und dass du weinst sieht nur der Mond
Du kletterst bist die Seele brennt
Und du zerreißt das Firmament

Die Galaxie ist dir zu klein
Es muss schon etwas großes sein

Und du erreichst den Sternenrand
Dahinter lacht das Niemandsland

Overall Meaning

The song Die Leiter by Oomph! is a powerful ballad that addresses a deeply emotional theme of longing for love and the struggle to attain it. The song opens with the singer urging his beloved to come closer and join him on a ladder, promising that they will journey towards an undefined destination. The ladder is called "meine Leiter" or "my ladder" throughout the song, which can be interpreted as a symbol of his partner's journey towards his love. He assures her that the hardships that she is facing will soon be over, and they will find paradise together. As they climb higher and higher, the lyrics describe a sense of pain and yearning, but the singer reassures her that they will be reunited soon.

Line by Line Meaning

Komm
Come, join me

Komm mein Mädchen
Come over, my girl

Komm ein bisschen
Come a little bit closer

Nur ein bisschen
Just a little bit

Auf die Leiter
Onto the ladder

Meine Leiter
My ladder

Dann geht es weiter
Then we'll move forward

Diese Welt ist dein Verließ
This world is your prison

Bald bist du im Paradis
Soon you'll be in paradise

Auf der Leiter, Stück für Stück
Step by step, on the ladder

Kämpfst du dich zu mir zurück.
You fight your way back to me